Newly released body camera footage from a deadly encounter at “Cop City” has left locals with more questions than answers. Last week, speculation around the events that led to the Jan. 18 shooting in South River Forest has grown since the Atlanta Police Department released videos from officers in the vicinity of where environmental activist […]
Atlanta Police
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Who Is ‘Cop City’ For? Residents Living Near the Site Aren’t So Sure.
Jacqueline Crew is a longtime resident of south DeKalb County who says she had not heard of “Cop City” until the deadly standoff that killed environmental activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Terán, and left a Georgia state trooper wounded. “I knew nothing about it. I have not heard nothing from the commissioners. I haven’t heard any […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Are Relationships Between Black Residents and APD Improving? Mayor Dickens Thinks So.
Mayor Andre Dickens says the rapport between Atlanta police and the city’s Black residents is better now than it was before he took office more than a year ago, despite recent protests over the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by Memphis, Tennessee, police. “I would say it has improved over the last year,” Dickens said […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Kemp Declares State of Emergency Over Stop ‘Cop City’ Movement
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday as tension between police and ‘Cop City’ protesters has brought international attention to Atlanta. Kemp has ordered 1,000 Georgia National Guard troops to be ready to intervene after Saturday’s vigil turned into a protest where some activists “threw rocks, launched fireworks, and burned a police vehicle […]
Posted inCity Politics, Criminal Justice, Policing
Deadly ‘Cop City’ Shooting Divides Residents, Activists, and Law Enforcement
Marcus Hunter bought a home near South River Forest in 2013. The IT consultant said he and many of his neighbors have become numb to hearing about the conflicts between protesters and law enforcement officers at the future site of a massive public safety training facility, dubbed “Cop City” by activists. “Everybody kinda saw it […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Dickens Picks Interim Chief to Head APD
It’s official: Atlanta has a new top cop. Mayor Andre Dickens appointed interim chief Darin Schierbaum to the permanent position. Schierbaum will be the 26th chief of the Atlanta Police Department. “During his service as Interim Chief, we have seen crime drop, significant arrests of gang leaders, and partnership with the community increase,” Dickens said […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Here’s How You Can Tell the Mayor What You Want in a New APD Chief
Mayor Andre Dickens wants Atlanta residents to fill out a survey about what qualities you are looking for in the next chief of police. “Building public trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is a collaborative process, and our Administration wants to ensure that all Atlantans have a seat at the table so […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Policing in Atlanta at Center of Upcoming Town Hall Series
An Atlanta nonprofit wants to compensate residents for feedback on police violence and public safety. The Southern Center for Human Rights is hosting a series of town hall meetings to engage the community with the goal of receiving holistic data to make policy recommendations directly to Atlanta officials. The initiative from the public interest law […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Where in the World is Officer Gray?
It was a simple question. At a Grove Park Neighborhood Association meeting earlier this year, residents voiced their concerns about the turnover rate for the Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers in the area. Coupled with the concern that the APD has failed to provide the area with officers trained in community policing, other public safety issues […]
Posted inNews Roundup
Voting Rights for Black Georgians at Center of Federal Trial
Top of the morning! Here is Your AM Rundown, with news updates in 400 words or less. Get caught up on headlines and other developments you might’ve missed. Here’s what’s up in Atlanta today: A federal trial centered on voting rights and Black residents in metro Atlanta kicked off this week. The lawsuit, Rose v. […]